MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 15: Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan has directed the government officials to ensure speedy completion of the uplift projects.
Speaking at the review meeting of the first quarter of the annual development programme, here on Monday, he exhorted the finance, planning and development departments and the accountant general’s office to ensure that the development schemes were not delayed beyond the stipulated period of completion, due to delay in the provision of funds.
The prime minister called for giving priority to the hydropower generation projects and to the uplift schemes for women and special people in the social sector.
The additional chief secretary, development, Sardar Abdul Rashid Khan, briefed the meeting on the strategy, targets and the expenditures made during the first quarter which ended on Sept 30.
AJK accountant general also presented his report in this regard.
The meeting was informed that the development work was in progress on 452 ongoing, and 132 new schemes. During the first quarter, Rs357.6 million were spent, which were 10.84 per cent of the ADP, having a total outlay of Rs3,300 million, including the foreign aid of Rs412.6 million.
The meeting further learnt that Rs127.4 million had been spent in communications sector, Rs43 million in the local government and rural development sectors, Rs57.9 million in the education sector, Rs30.03 million in the power sector, Rs28.9 million in the physical planning and housing sector, Rs23.7 million in the health sector, Rs19.5 million in the forest and agriculture sectors, Rs16.4 million in resource management, Rs9.1 million in the industries and mineral (exploration) sector and Rs610,000 had been spent in the social welfare and environment sectors.
The meeting also reviewed the work done in the first quarter, during which, the officials claimed, 39.87 per cent work of the development projects had been completed.
He said his foremost priority was to make AJK a developed and prosperous region so that its prosperity could strengthen the liberation movement in the occupied Kashmir.
AJK Chief Secretary Shahid Rafi assured the premier that the government officials would try their best to successfully implement the development programme.
REPORTS REFUTED: A spokesman for the AJK government on Tuesday described the reports being carried by a section of press on the alleged differences between the president and prime minister as ‘contrary to factual position.’
“The reports appearing from time to time do not truly reflect the situation on the ground. Emergence of the differences of opinion is nothing unusual but a routine matter in democratic setups,” said the spokesman in a statement.
“Particularly in Azad Kashmir, where the democratic form of government is in practice since 1985 without any hurdles, such a situation does not reflect any negative trend,” the spokesman said.
Recalling that there had been occasions in the past when such differences cropped up and were resolved amicably through mutual consultations, the spokesman said the ongoing issues would be settled in the same manner and in accordance with the spirit of the constitution and laws.
The spokesman denied reports of grouping in the ranks of AJK bureaucracy due to the alleged differences and said the government servants were discharging their functions with “responsibility, patriotism and impartiality.”
The spokesman called upon the press “to show responsibility while opining on such national issues and avoid publication of reports that were in contradiction to the factual position.”